Flourishing: Better Bible Instruction: Recent Episodes
David Grills
This is a podcast for Bible teachers, administrators and other teachers who want Bible instruction to be better.
This is the final episode in the series about what and how I teach my OT survey course. This time around we pick up after King David and examine what happens to the unified kingdom he leaves behind. We also look at who the prophets were and how we understand them in my classroom. Finally, I spend a little time reflecting on the whole course and how I might make it better.
Israel is in the land. The job of conquest is only partially complete and there is trouble. Israel is morally and spiritually adrift. God sets up judges as temporary regional rulers. The next step is swapping a regional/tribal identity for a national identity. We want a king! This podcast tackles some of the r rated content on the Bible. Enjoy.
Here we continue our journey and accompany Israel as they travel from Sinai to the Plains of Moab. Rebellion features as Israel continues to complain and lose their way. God's provision also features as God shows great patience, even grace.
This is the first of two parts that describe the journey Israel takes from Egypt and slavery to the plains of Moab. In this first part we explore the first half of the journey and some of the assessments and why they work as we get there. Part two will complete the journey.
This episode takes us to the next phase in God's story of redemption. Here students are challenged to think about the characters of the Old Testament differently as we look beyond who they to who God is and what He is doing in and through them. We also learn about human nature and begin to see ourselves in them.
I also talk about assessment and removing the "cram mentality" so my students have a working knowledge of God's story and can make connections as we work our way through the Old Testament.
In this episode, I describe how I help my students to understand a little better the creation accounts and how we can prioritize the WHO of creation over the HOW of creation by understanding the difference between essential doctrine and peripheral doctrine. I also describe our close reading of Genesis 2 and 3, and our reflection assessment.
In this episode I give a compressed overview of the content of the first unit in my Old Testament Survey course, some practices, and assessments. As a bonus, I have included some book recommendations.
This is part one of a conversation with Justin Cook who is the director of learning with Edvance Christian Schools Association. In this episode, Justin poses a difficult question about students who do not believe. How do Bible teachers handle dissenting views, challenging questions, and create opportunity for safe questioning.
This is part one of a conversation with Justin Cook who is the director of learning with Edvance Christian Schools Association. In this part we discuss the challenge that Bible teachers face including time, confidence with the material or adequate resource, and how that leads to transactional learning and knowledge based assessment. We do a little dreaming as we imagine what Bible instruction could be.
This episode explores the value of curiosity, some ways to generate curiosity, and which assessments help keep it going.
Dr. Owen Webb and I continue our conversation and discuss how to handle difference in the Bible classroom.
In this episode, I discuss the importance of being known by and knowing our students with Dr. Owen Webb. We talk about how knowing who our students are allows for more meaningful Bible instruction.
In this episode we discuss the various ways that a Bible teacher, or any teacher can be critically reflective.